Captain Oliver Hudson stood on the bridge of the SeaQuest enjoying the fact that he had just dropped off the last of the diplomats that they had been playing host to for almost a month. The UEO had signed a treaty with Macronisia. President Born had agreed to step down and until a fair election could be held, a UEO ambassador would run the confederation. Now they were on their way to a much deserved shore leave. All was well. Then Whiskers picked up an unidentified shuttle.
"Mr. Piccolo?" Captain Hudson asked.
"It's a private shuttle sir," Piccolo explained. "They're hailing us."
"Let's see it, Mr. O'Neill."
"Yes, sir," O'Neill said as he punched the image onto the screen.
Captain Hudson looked up, pleasantly surprised to see Captain Nathan Bridger. "Nathan."
"Oliver," Captain Bridger smiled. "Nice to see the negotiations didn't drive you too crazy."
"Thanks."
"I'd like to talk to you in private if possible. And in person."
"All right. I'll meet you in the docking bay."
Lucas Wolencheck was already in the docking bay when Captain Hudson arrived. "Ensign," Hudson said as they stood waiting for Captain Bridger's shuttle to dock.
"Captain," Lucas said as he assumed the captain would ask him what he was doing there.
He didn't. Captain Hudson knew that Lucas and Nathan Bridger had a father-son relationship. They were as close as if they were really father and son. Bridger had been disappointed when he found out Lucas had enlisted but he realized that Lucas had to choose his own path.
The shuttle docked and Bridger climbed out followed by someone Lucas hadn't expected to see. "Ben?" Lucas said surprised.
"Hi Lucas," Ben Krieg said as he stood next to Bridger. "It's good to see you."
"Ben, why don't you and Lucas catch up while I talk to Captain Hudson," Bridger said. "Oliver after you."
Hudson led Bridger to his quarters. Lucas and Ben stood there for a minute then Lucas said, "What are you doing here, Ben?"
"I'm helping Captain Bridger find his son," Ben said.
"You?" Lucas laughed. "No offense Ben, but what's in it for you?"
"Nothing," Ben said as they walked toward Sea Deck. "Robert was a friend of mine. I just want to help my friend get back with his family. That's all."
Ben looked away from Lucas, out at the moon pool. Lucas thought he had seen Darwin for a minute but the dolphin wasn't there. They stood there for a few minutes before Darwin did show up and Ben leaned over to pet him.
"So, Nathan," Hudson said as he closed his door behind them. "What brings you to SeaQuest?"
"I need a favor, Oliver," Nathan said. "You can say no if you want to."
"I'd like to hear what the favor is first."
"You know ever since SeaQuest reappeared and I found out my son is still alive, I've been trying to find him."
Hudson nodded and Bridger continued. "For a while, there were no leads at all. Then about three weeks ago, I got a lead. I'm here to follow up on it. And I need some help. I need to borrow a couple of crew members."
"Who did you have in mind?" Hudson asked, even though he already knew the answer.
"I need people that Robert doesn't know," Bridger explained. "Ben has been a great help to me, but Robert went to the academy with him."
"You think if someone he doesn't know approaches him, he might be less likely to run."
"Exactly," Bridger smiled. "And I'd like to borrow Commander Ford and Lucas. If that's all right with you, of course."
"They're due for shore leave. But if they're willing to help you, they can take their shore leave with you. Take Dagwood too. He might learn something. I think Commander Ford is in the mess."
"Thank you Oliver," Bridger said as he walked out of the captain's quarters. "I appreaciate it."
"Just means you owe me one," Hudson smiled.
Ben and Lucas had made their way to the mess and were eating with Dagwood and Commander Ford when Captain Bridger walked in. He walked over to them and sat down. "Good, you're all together."
"What's going on, Captain?" Ford asked.
"I need a favor," Bridger started.
"Name it," Ford said.
"Now, before you answer, Captain Hudson told me that you are due for shore leave, so I understand if you don't want to go."
"Captain, just tell us what you want us to do," Lucas said. "We'll help."
"I've got a lead on where Robert and his wife might be," Bridger explained. "Ben has been helping me. We both agree that it might be wise to have people that Robert doesn't know approach him. If he wanted to let me know where he was, he would have by know, I know. But I have to find out what happened to him, not only for me, but for his son."
"Where is your grandson?" Ford asked.
"He's with a friend," Bridger said. "I thought it was best, in case his father rejected him again."
"When do we leave?" Ford asked as he looked at Lucas who nodded in agreement.
"As soon as you get ready," Bridger said. "And remember to come in civilian clothes."
They got up and started to go when Bridger saw that Dagwood was still sitting at the table. "Dagwood, aren't you coming?" Bridger asked.
"Me?" Dagwood asked uncertain.
"Yes, I want you to come too," Bridger smiled.
Dagwood smiled and got up to follow. "Captain, I don't know if I have any civilian clothes."
"Don't worry, we'll find something," Bridger promised.
Lucas and Ford got their things together and were ready to go in thirty minutes. They climbed aboard the shuttle and left ten minutes later. Ben was at the helm. Ford and Bridger talked strategy and Dagwood put away their gear. Lucas came up and sat beside Ben. "You still haven't told me what you're doing here Ben."
"I told you, I just want to help the captain get back together with his son," Ben said as he looked straight ahead. "Besides, I used to live there. I know my way around."
"You used to live there?" Lucas said shocked. "When?"
"About three years ago. Look Lucas, I really don't' want to get into it now."
"All right," Lucas said as he held his hands up.
When they got to the town, Bridger led them to a café. "Jonathan, I want you to take Dagwood to this address in the business district. We'll go to the house that Robert is supposed to be staying at. We'll meet back here in two hours."
"All right, Captain," Ford said as he and Dagwood got into one of the cars Bridger had waiting for them.
They had been in the business district for about an hour and a half with no luck. Ford told Dagwood to wait by the car while he checked one more store. He was in there for fifteen minutes before he came back out. That's when he saw them.
A woman was standing on the other side of the street holding the hand of a little girl who looked about six years old. The woman looked upset. He walked over to her. "Excuse me," he said in a friendly tone. "Is there something I can help you with?"
"My little boy," she said on the verge of tears. "I turned away for one second and he was gone when I turned back."
"How long ago was this?"
"A minute, maybe two."
"He can't have gone far. How old is he?"
"Two and a half."
Ford looked around for a second and saw a little boy across the street where Dagwood was standing. "Is that him?"
She looked across the street. "Ben!" she shouted.
The little boy looked up at her and waved and started to walk across the street. There was a car coming fright for him.
"Ben stop!" she shouted.
"Dagwood!" Ford shouted.
Dagwood looked from him to the boy and sprang into action. He grabbed the boy just before the car could hit him and brought him to where Ford and the boy's mother were standing."
"Are you all right?" she asked as Dagwood handed her son to her.
"I'm fine, Mommy," he smiled.
"Is there somewhere we can take you?" Ford asked. "Maybe to your husband?"
"My husband's dead," she said sadly. "Besides, I don't even know your names."
"I'm Jonathan and this is Dagwood."
"I'm Leslie and this is my daughter Stacy. You've already met Ben."
"Well, it's a pleasure," Ford smiled. "Can we take you anywhere? You look like you've had enough excitement for one day."
"You don't know the half of it," Leslie sighed. "First my car broke down, then Ben. I would appreciate a lift home."
"Then follow me," Ford smiled.
Bridger, Ben and Lucas were already at the café. They hadn't had any luck either. "Ben, are you sure you don't want to go by the cemetery?" Bridger asked for the second time.
"It's like I said Captain, there's nothing there," Ben said as he tried to smile.
Bridger frowned and Lucas looked at both of them as he tried to figure out what was going on. He looked up when Ford and Dagwood arrived.
"Any luck?" Ford asked as he sat down.
"No," Be replied. "What about you?"
"No, but the manager at the last store we went to thought that Robert might be in tomorrow. Have you eaten yet?"
"Yeah," Lucas asked.
"Well, I'm going to order. You want anything Dagwood?"
"No, thank you."
Ford got up to order and Lucas looked at Ben. "What's at the cemetery, Ben?"
"Nothing," Ben said frustrated.
"Ben, tell him," Bridger insisted.
"All right," Ben relented. "There are two empty graves there. At least there are supposed to be. I've never had enough courage to go."
"Whose graves?" Lucas asked.
"My wife and daughter."
"Your what?" Lucas asked shocked.
"About two years after I left SeaQuest, I met the most incredible woman. Her name was Leslie. She was smart, witty and not too hard on the eyes. She changed me. She helped me realize that I was probably going to wind up in jail. Anyway, to make a long story short, I fell in love. I mean really in love. We got married and had a little girl. Tomorrow would have been her sixth birthday."
"What happened?" Lucas asked softly.
"They died in a fire," Ben said as he fought back the tears and pulled a picture out of his wallet. "It happened when I was running for President. We knew we might not have a chance, but we thought it might be a good way to get our message across. I was out of town to make a speech. Leslie usually came with me, but Stacy was sick and Leslie stayed with her. Besides, she had just gotten over morning sickness. She was five months pregnant. We were going to wait until the baby was born to find out if it was a boy or a girl. I know it sounds old fashioned, but that was the way we wanted it. That was the way it was with Stacy. Anyway, I went to make the speech, and after I was finished one of my aides told me there had been a fire and they were dead. But there wasn't enough of their bodies to bury. The election ended and I eventually wound up on an iceberg with a bunch of Macronisian refugees. After I found out SeaQuest was back, I found Captain Bridger. When he told me that Robert was alive, I decided to help him. I figured that if I couldn't get my family back, the least I could do was help him get his back."
Lucas took the picture from Ben. "Is this them?"
"Yeah," Ben smiled. "That was taken just after Stacy's second birthday."
Lucas handed the picture to Dagwood who looked at it and said, "I know her."
"That's impossible, Dag," Ben said. "She died before SeaQuest reappeared."
"No, I saw her today," Dagwood insisted. "With Commander Ford. We took them home."
Ben grabbed the picture and ran to Commander Ford. "Commander, Dagwood said you met a woman today."
"Yeah, Krieg," Ford said. "Why?"
"Did she have a little girl with her? She'd be about six."
Ford looked at Bridger, who along with Lucas and Dagwood had come up behind Ben. "Answer him, Jonathan."
"Yeah, I suppose she was," Ford admitted. "What's this all about?"
"Is this her?" Ben asked as he tried not to get his hopes up.
Ford looked at the picture, puzzled. "Yeah, that's her. Dagwood kept her little boy from getting hit by a car."
"Her little boy," Ben said slowly.
"I think we better sit down," Bridger said as he led Ben back to the table.
"Lucas, what's going on?" Ford asked confused.
"It's a long story, Commander but it appears the woman you helped is Ben's wife."
Ford sat down beside Lucas and looked at Ben for a while. He looked like he had been shot.
Bridger looked from Ben to Ford. "Jonathan, maybe you should explain what happened."
"All right. I had gone into one of the shops to see if they had seen Robert. When I came out, I saw Leslie across the street. She looked frantic. I went to see if I could help and she said her son was missing. That's when I saw him about to cross the road but he didn't see the car. I called out to Dagwood and he grabbed him and gave the boy to his mother. Then we took them home. She told me her husband is dead."
"That's why she never tried to find me," Ben said softly. "She thinks I'm dead."
"You thought she was dead, Ben," Bridger said. "Someone went to a lot of trouble to make you two think that the other was dead. Jonathan, you said you and Dagwood took her home?"
"Yeah, do you want us to take you there?"
"Yes," Bridger said. He looked at Ben, who looked like he was in shock. "Ben, we can go whenever you're ready."
"What about Robert?" Ben asked.
"Jonathan said that the storekeeper thought Robert would be in tomorrow," Bridger reminded. "Right now, let's see if we can get you back together with your family."
Ben looked at Bridger with hope in his eyes. "Let's go."
Ford stood at the door, flanked by Dagwood and Lucas. He rang the bell, hoping that she wouldn't think they were strange. "Jonathan," Leslie said as she opened the door. "It's good to see you again."
"Can we come in for a minute?" Jonathan asked.
"Sure," Leslie said as she stepped back to let them in.
"You remember Dagwood, and this is our friend Lucas," Ford said. "Leslie, the reason we stopped by is because I want to talk to you about your husband."
"What about my husband?" she said as she gave him a look.
"Can we talk in private? Maybe Lucas and Dagwood could take the kids to the park down the street. I promise they'll be all right."
Leslie looked at him for a minute then decided to trust him. If it gave her information about her husband's death, it was worth it. She got the kids, who were glad to see Dagwood, and sent them to the park.
As Dagwood and Lucas left the house with the children, Ben watched them walk down the street. He looked at the children, his children, and started to cry. Bridger put his hand on Ben's shoulder. "I'm all right," Ben said as he smiled. "It's just I haven't seen Stacy in three years and this is the first time I've seen my son. Yesterday I thought they were dead. And today, my children are walking to the park with Dagwood and Lucas and my wife is in that house with Commander Ford."
"Let's go see her," Bridger smiled.
Ben smiled and they walked across the street to the house.
"Jonathan, what do you know about my husband?" Leslie asked. "You don't even know my last name."
"It's Krieg, isn't it?"
"How do you know that?" she asked shocked.
"I guess it's time for me to tell you my last name. I'm Jonathan Ford."
Leslie's face showed signs of recognition. "You served with Ben aboard the SeaQuest."
"Yes. Captain Bridger is outside. I'm sure that Ben mentioned him. He has someone with him who might be able to explain things better than I am."
Ford walked over to the door and opened it. Bridger walked in first. "Hello, Leslie. I want you to believe me when I tell you that the person I'm about to bring in has been living with a lie for three years as well. It's similar to the one you've been living with. And that he wanted to be with you. Ben."
Ben walked into the house and Leslie let out a breath. She stood there for a minute and as the tears started to form in her eyes, she said, "Ben?"
He couldn't speak, so he just nodded. She walked over to him slowly and reached out to touch him. When she realized that he was real and not just a dream, she practically fell into his arms. Ben wrapped his arms around her as the tears finally came to him. They just stood there holding each other and silently thanking God that the other was alive. Bridger looked at Ford and nodded to the door and they left.
After a few minutes, Ben loosened his grip on her a little bit and led her to the couch. She looked at him and asked the one question that came to her mind, but she could only get one word out. "How?"
"After my speech, Roger came over and told me he had gotten a phone call," Ben began. "He told me that the person on the phone had said there was fire. He said that you and Stacy had been trapped in the house and that there wasn't anything left of the bodies. I came back here as fast as I could. The house was just like the guy on the phone said it was. Roger said they kept it out of the media to avoid the sympathy vote. It wouldn't have mattered anyway. I was still just trying to get our message out. Anyway, after the election, I helped refugees from Macroniesia find new homes in the confederations. A few months ago, I was actually in Macroniesia getting a group of refugees out. I wound up on an iceberg."
"I heard about that," Leslie said as she finally found her voice. "That was when I found out the SeaQuest had reappeared. It was one of the many times over the last three years that I forgot you were dead. All I wanted to do was tell you that Captain Bridger had been found."
"What did whoever did this tell you?"
"That you had been shot. It was the day of your speech. I had just finished giving Stacy her medicine. She wanted to watch your speech but I told her she needed to rest. I told her I would record it and she could watch it later. I went into the living room to turn it on when someone came to the door. I opened it and there was a man there. He said he was from the UEO and that I needed to pack and get Stacy and come with him as quickly as I could. I told him I wasn't going anywhere until he showed me some credentials and told me what was going on. He showed me an ID and told me that you had been shot as you had gone to your car. He said that you were dead and that he had to take us someplace where we would be safe. He told me to get Stacy and some thins and come with him as fast as I could. I was terrified. I did exactly what he told me to do. He took us to an island and left us there with someone else he said was with the UEO. He came back periodically. I would ask him when we could leave. He would always say soon. We didn't leave until after the baby was born. He told me that he had sold the house and that he had gotten us this house. I asked him if he would take me to where you were buried. He told me that he didn't know but that someone from the UEO would be in touch to tell me. I never heard from the UEO. Then I saw the man on a news report. He worked for Devin. He was responsible for the train to Beijing going out of control and all sorts of atrocities. I realized that he had lied about being with the UEO the whole time. But after finding out who he really was, I thought he might have killed you himself and was trying to keep me from finding out by keeping me from seeing any news reports. Something deep down told me that you were still alive somewhere. But I told myself that if you were alive you would try to find us. I thought you had to be dead until now."
Ben pulled her close and held her for a long time. "I'm so sorry any of this happened. If I hadn't run for President, none of this would have happened and we would have been together."
"None of this is your fault, Ben. That man spent a lot of time and money to keep us apart. But we're together now. His reasons don't matter now. All that matters is that we found each other."
"You're right," Ben smiled. "You and the kids are all that matter to me. The kids. I saw them with Lucas and Dagwood. Stacy's grown so much. And our little boy, I don't even know his name or his birthday."
"Feburary 12, 2029," Leslie said as she smiled. "And his name is… Promise you won't laugh."
"Why would I laugh at my son's name?" Ben asked. "All right, I promise."
"His name is Benjamin Nathan Krieg."
"You named him after me?" Ben asked surprised. "I thought he had agreed to name the baby Nathan if it was a boy."
"Yes, after Captain Bridger. But after that man told me you had been killed, I wanted him to remember you, so I named him Benjamin. And I remembered how much Captain Bridger meant to you so I made Nathan his middle name. I thought about naming him Nathan Benjamin, but I wanted another Ben Krieg around the house. I had no idea the original would be coming back."
"Well, they did break the mold when they made me," Ben joked. Then he turned serious again. "How much do they know about me? And how much does Stacy remember?"
"Stacy remembers more than you might think," Leslie smiled. "She'll say things that you used to say to her. Or she'll say 'Daddy took us to…' some place or the other. What surprises me the most is that she remembers your birthday. Every year she'll say 'Let's make a cake for Daddy.' The first time, I didn't want to because it hurt too much. But it was something she could look forward to. Now I can start looking forward to it again. Stacy has told Ben so much about you, that he thinks he remembers you too. Then stay will tell him that he hadn't been born yet when that happened. And of course he's seen your picture. I took as many with me as I could. I don't know what happened to the rest."
"I suppose they burned with the house," Ben speculated. "I'm just glad that it's over with now. Still I can't help but wonder what would have happened if Devin had gotten what he wanted. If he had shut me up."
"Maybe someone would have told us the truth. But in all likelihood things would have stayed exactly the way they were. Ben, there is one question that just came to me."
"What's that?"
"How did you find me? I mean I know Jonathan must have made the connection, but how did you wind up here today?"
"You remember me telling you about Robert Bridger?"
She nodded and he continued. "It turns out that he's really alive too. He just let his family think he was dead. When SeaQuest reappeared, the captain found out that he has a grandson. I offered to help him find Robert. We found out that Robert and his wife had been staying here. It was the first time in three years I had been back. When Dagwood saw your picture he said he knew you. I asked Commander Ford about what happened and the rest is history."
"Did you find Robert?"
"No, but we know where he might be tomorrow," Ben smiled. "We'll find him."
"Do the others have a place to stay tonight?"
"I don't know. I didn't ask the captain."
"Well, if they don't, they can stay here. They'll have to double up in the guest rooms because I only have two."
"Are you sure?"
"Just as long as you remember where you're sleeping tonight," she grinned.
"Oh yeah, I remember," he said. "I'll be sleeping with the most beautiful woman in the world."
They kissed and then decided that it was time to go see the kids and let them know that their father was alive. They walked out of the house and went hand in hand to the park. When they got to the park, they saw that everyone was at the swings. Ford and Lucas were pushing the kids on the swings. Dagwood was on the swing in between them. Bridger was teaching him how to swing.
"Stacy, Ben, come here a minute," Leslie called as they got to the swings. Ford stopped Ben's swing and let him down while Stacy jumped off of hers before Lucas could stop it. The kids ran to their parents, not fully realizing that Ben was their father.
Leslie knelt in front of them. "Are you two having fun?"
"Yes Mommy," Stacy said.
"I'm glad," Leslie smiled. 'I have something to tell you about your daddy."
"What?"
"Do you remember the man who came and told us that Daddy had been hurt?"
"Yes, he made us leave our house and he wouldn't tell you where Daddy was and he made you cry."
Ben looked at his daughter, proud of the fact that she could remember something that had happened when she was so young. But he was also sad because of what she had to remember.
"That's right," Leslie said smiling. "But he lied to us. I don't know why, but he didn't want Daddy to see us or us to see Daddy. But Jonathan helped us find out the truth."
Ben knelt down beside Leslie. He looked at Stacy, whose eyes locked on him when he started to kneel. "Hi Sweetheart," he said as he smiled at her. "Do you remember me?"
She looked at him for a second then walked over to him and hugged him. "I missed you Daddy."
"I missed you too, Sweet Baby," Ben said as he held his daughter.
"She hasn't let anyone call her that in three years," Leslie said crying.
"That's because I'm Daddy's Sweet Baby," Stacy said as she broke Ben's embrace.
Ben laughed and then he looked at his son. "Do you know who I am?" he asked carefully.
"Um-hum, you're my daddy."
"That's right," Ben said as he scooped his son into his arms. "I'm your daddy."
Ben scooped Stacy into his embrace and held his children. Both he and Leslie were crying now. After a few minutes, he stood up holding his son and taking his daughter's hand. "Captain, if you don't have any other plans, you are all welcome to stay with us tonight. Then we'll go into town tomorrow and see if we can find Robert."
"Well it's fine with me if we're not making any trouble for Leslie," Bridger smiled.
"It's not trouble at all, Captain," Leslie said.
"Nathan, please, I'm retired."
"All right Nathan," Leslie smiled. "Then it's settled. Let's go back to the house."
Ben started dinner while Leslie went up to the guest rooms ready. Ford came into the kitchen to talk to Ben. "Did you two figure out who was behind all of this?" Ford asked as he sat down at the counter. He thought he already knew the answer.
"It looks like Devin was behind it," Ben sighed. "Leslie said that the guy who came and told her I was dead worked for Devin. Somehow he had UEO credentials."
"That doesn't surprise me," Ford said wearily. "It seems like everywhere we turn we either run into Devin or Born."
"Well, at least you don't have to worry about Born anymore," Ben said as he handed Ford a knife and some tomatoes. "Here, make yourself useful."
"You know, Krieg, you've become alarmingly domestic. We might actually be able to eat this meal."
"Very funny," Ben laughed.
Bridger went up to see if Leslie needed any help. "Is there anything I can do?"
"You could help me make up the beds," Leslie said smiling. "I'm sorry you all have to double up."
"That's no problem," Bridger reassured. "Do you know who's going to sleep where?"
"I thought that you and Jonathan could sleep in here. And Lucas and Dagwood could sleep in the other guest room. If that's all right with the rest of you of course."
"That should be fine. Leslie, I'm glad you and Ben found each other. Not just today but when you first met. I've only known you a little while, but I can tell you're good for each other. And when Ben came to see me after SeaQuest reappeared, I could tell he had changed. I think you were a big influence on that."
"Well, I don't know about that. He had already started to change when I met him. You had a great deal to do with that. He wanted the world to remember what you and SeaQuest stood for. When he met me, he said he had met his soulmate. I suppose he was right. We could complete each other's thoughts. When I was told he had been killed, a big part of me was gone. I don't know if I could have made it through all of this if I hadn't had the kids. Every day they would do something that reminded me of Ben. I can only imagine how hard it was for him, all alone."
"I think I have some idea," Bridger said knowingly.
"You'll find your son," Leslie smiled. "I'm sure of it."
"I hope so."
They finished making up the beds in the guest rooms and went downstairs. Lucas and Stacy were setting the table. Dagwood was playing with little Ben. Ben and Ford came out of the kitchen with dinner. "Anyone hungry?" Ben asked.
"I am Daddy," Stacy said as she smiled at him.
"Good."
"Daddy, you sit here, in between me and Mommy," Stacy said as she put her hand on the chair she was talking about. "And Dagwood can sit here and Ben here and Lucas here and Jonathan here and Captain Bridger here."
"It looks like you have everything planned," Bridger smiled.
"Yeah, I tried to make suggestions but she'd have none of it," Lucas grinned.
"Ah the Krieg stubborn streak," Ford teased. "I remember it well."
"Very funny Commander," Ben said as he sat at the table between his wife and daughter.
Later that night, Ben and Leslie lay in bed, wrapped in each other's arms. Ben smiled and said, "Not bad for two people who haven't made love in three years. At least I haven't."
Leslie gave him a little punch. "Funny Ben."
"Just a little joke," Ben laughed.
"I know, but as for not bad," she said as she grinned at him. "If you get much better, you might find yourself the father of three children instead of two."
"Would that be so bad?" he asked.
"No, not as long as we're together," she said as she kissed him.
"I do foresee one problem though."
"What's that?"
"It occurred to me that there are now two Bens in this house," Ben said. "And as much as I love and appreciate the fact that you named our son after me, it's bound to get confusing."
"You've got a point. But he's been called Ben all of his life."
"So have I. I just think that there are times when you want one of us to do something, you're going to say Ben and you're going to get two answers. The only thing I can come up with is to call him Little Ben. That's not going to work as he gets older. And to tell you the truth, I'm not too crazy about it myself."
"We could start calling him by his middle name, Nathan," Leslie suggested. "We would have to get him used to it though."
"We'll think about it. There is one more thing I want to ask you."
"What's that?"
"What time is Stacy's birthday party tomorrow?"
"Two o'clock. She wasn't sure she wanted one but I told her it would be fun."
"Where is it going to be?"
"At the park, why?"
"So I can be there on time of course. I've got to go into town for a little while in the morning and I wanted to make sure I was on time."
"To find Robert?"
"Yes, and to get Stacy a birthday present," Ben stated.
"I've already got Stacy's present. I could change the card…"
"No, she would know that you got it before I came home," Ben said. "Next year we'll get her present and Ben's together. I promise that I will be back in time for the party."
"I know you will. And with any luck, you'll have Robert with you."
"I hope so."
The next morning, Leslie woke up first. For a minute she thought that the previous day had been a dream. Then she looked at Ben and smiled. She slowly got out of bed, put some clothes on, and went downstairs to make breakfast. Captain Bridger was already down there.
"Nathan, what are you doing up so early?"
"I could ask you the same thing," Bridger said as he poured her a cup of coffee. "I figured you and Ben would want to sleep late."
"Ben's still asleep," Leslie said as she took a sip of her coffee. "I figured I'd get up and start breakfast for everyone."
Stacy came running down the stairs then. "Hi Mommy. Hi Captain Bridger."
"Stacy honey, be quiet," Leslie said softly. "Your daddy and the others are still asleep. Do you want some juice?"
"Yes please," Stacy said as she sat down at the kitchen counter beside Bridger.
"Happy Birthday Stacy," Bridger said smiling.
"How did you know it's my birthday?" Stacy asked surprised.
"A little bird told me," Bridger said mischievously.
A few minutes later, both Bens came in, father holding son in his arms. Ben sat his son down and went over to Stacy and scooped her up. "Happy Birthday, Sweet Baby."
"You remembered," Stacy said excitedly.
"Of course I did," Ben smiled. "It was one of the best days of my life."
Ford, Lucas and Dagwood walked in and Leslie finished fixing breakfast. After breakfast was over, Lucas helped Leslie clean up and told Dagwood to take the children outside so Ford and Ben could talk to Bridger in the living room alone.
"Captain, I think I think it would be a good idea if you and Dagwood stayed here and helped Leslie get ready for Stacy's party," Ben said carefully.
"I was going to go into town with you and Jonathan to look for Robert," he said as he looked at them.
"We know that, Sir," Ford said calmly. "I know how much you want to be there when we find Robert, but Krieg and I talked about it last night. We agreed that it would be a good idea if we approached Robert first."
"For whatever reason, Robert has chosen to let you think that he's been dead for over ten years," Ben said. "It's not like it was with Leslie and I. We were lied to. We wanted to find each other. The whole reason for bringing Ford and Lucas along was so someone that Robert didn't know could approach him."
"I know," Bridger sighed. "But that doesn't mean I don't want to be there when we find him."
"We understand that, Captain," Ford said. "And hopefully when we come back for Stacy's party, we'll have him with us. Or we'll have some answers for you."
"Besides, if you and Dagwood help Leslie with the kids, the party is bound to start on time," Ben smiled.
"All right," Bridger said reluctantly. "But let me know what you find out, no matter how bad it is."
Ben, Ford and Lucas had been waiting outside the store for about half an hour when they decided to go in. They walked in and started browsing. They had been there for a bout ten minutes when something caught Ben's eye. He walked over to a display of dolls and picked one up.
"Ben, what is it?" Lucas asked concerned.
"This is almost exactly like a doll Leslie gave Stacy about three weeks before…" Ben started. "When I came back to see if the story was true, I found what was left of the doll in the ashes."
"Why don't you get it for her?" Ford suggested.
"No," Ben said. "It might bring up too many painful memories."
He put the doll back and picked up a different one. "I'll get her this one. A new doll for a new start."
He went up to pay for the doll as the door opened. "Could you wrap that up for me please? It's a present for my little girl."
"Ben?" came the voice from behind him. "Ben Krieg?"
He turned around and tried to act surprised. "Bobby? Bobby Bridger?"
"What are you doing here, Ben?"
"I live here. I was just picking up a birthday present from my little girl."
"You and Katie have a kid?" Robert said surprised.
"No, we got divorced a long time ago," Ben said as his smile faded a little. "What about you? I heard you had been killed. What happened?"
"It's a long story Ben," Robert sighed. "Maybe I'll tell you about it someday."
"There's no time like the present," Ben smiled again. "Why don't we get some lunch. We can catch up."
Robert looked at him skeptically then said, "All right."
"Good," Ben said as he paid for Stacy's doll and headed for the door with Robert. He threw a look to Ford, who nodded. He and Lucas followed them out the door and to a nearby café. They sat about three tables down so they didn't look suspicious.
"So what happened between you and Katie?" Robert asked after they gave their orders to the waitress.
"We just realized that we shouldn't have gotten married in the first place," Ben said soberly. "We wound up serving on the same sub though. Ironically enough, under your father."
"Dad always did like the Navy," Robert said uneasily.
"Not always," Ben said calmly. 'After he found out you had been killed, he left the Navy. He made a promise to your mother that he was through with the Navy. He kept that promise after she died. It took a lot of convincing for him to come back. I don't think he would have if the command hadn't been SeaQuest."
"The sub he was designing?"
"Yeah," Ben said. "I left SeaQuest and eventually the Navy. But I could never forget what I learned from your father. When I met my wife, we had the same ideas. We both wanted to change the world. And after a while we thought we were going to. Then I decided to run for President. It was something that both Leslie and I wanted to do. We wanted to get our message across, we didn't care about whether we won the election. To make a long story short, I was told that she and my daughter had been killed in a fire. To make matters worse, Leslie had been told that I had been killed. It took us three years to find out the truth. I missed three years of my daughter's life. My son spent the first two and a half years of his life thinking he didn't have a father. I only found them again yesterday."
"So, what are you doing here?" Robert laughed. "Why aren't you with them?"
"I wanted to get Stacy a birthday present," Ben said, telling only part of the truth. "She turns six today. "Now, what about you? Why didn't you tell your folks you were alive?"
Robert hesitated for a moment, then he told Ben the whole story.
Bridger and Leslie were getting everything set up in the park for the party while Dagwood played with the kids. Bridger looked at the children and smiled. Leslie looked at him and her heart went out to him. She knew how he felt. She knew what it was like to think that someone you love was dead. But she didn't know how it felt to find out that person had let you think he was dead. It was different from what she and Ben had been through.
"They'll find him, Nathan," she said as she tried to sound confident.
"I'm sure they will," Bridger sighed. "I just hope he wants to find me."
"Why don't you ask him yourself," Leslie said as she pointed toward the end of the park.
Bridger looked over and saw Ben walking beside Robert followed by Lucas and Ford. When Ben saw them, he waved. Bridger realized that he was starting to feel nervous. He was a little grateful when Ford diverted his and Lucas' path to the kids and Dagwood.
"Leslie, I would like for you to meet Robert Bridger," Ben said as he and Robert came to a stop in front of her and Bridger. "Bobby, this is my wife Leslie."
"Pleased to meet you, Bobby," Leslie said as she reached out to shake Robert's hand. "I've heard a lot about you."
"None of it good, I'm sure," Robert said uneasily.
"Some of it was good," Leslie said as she put her arm around Ben.
Ben set Stacy's present down then said carefully, "Uh, Leslie, why don't we go see what the kids are up to."
"Huh? Oh, all right," Leslie said as she realized what Ben was up to. They walked over to the kids and left Bridger and Robert alone. They stood there silently, then Robert spoke.
"How's Nicholas?"
"He's fine," Bridger said as he smiled a little. "He does ask where his parents are from time to time. Robert, when you left him, how did you know I'd be back?"
"I don't know," Robert said. "I thought that somehow you would come back and you would take care of Nicholas."
"Why did you leave him in the first place? Why did you let your mother and I think you were dead?"
"It's a long story," Robert said tiredly.
"I've got time."
Robert looked at his father for a minute, then he began his tale. "When we were attacked, I was hurt very badly. I got separated from everyone else. My raft floated for days. I was picked up by a fishing boat. I almost died. When I finally recovered I didn't know who I was. When I did remember, SeaQuest had disappeared. I knew that you had been working on the design, so I assumed you had disappeared with the boat. Annie had taken care of me while I recovered. We fell in love and got married. Then Nicholas was born. We were happy for a long time. Then Annie got sick. She had cancer. She didn't want our son to remember her like that. So we left him where I knew you would find him. Annie died a month ago. I wasn't sure if you would want to see me or not. Not after you found out I was really alive. I can only imagine what you must have thought when you came back and found Nicholas, but no parents."
"I have to admit, I did wonder why you would leave your son," Bridger said. "But I think I can understand. But now, what do you want to do about your son and your life now?"
"I want to see Nicholas," Robert said firmly. "I want to tell him about his mother. After that, I don't know. I do know that I don't want to rejoin the Navy."
"I didn't say you had to," Bridger smiled. "If you don't have a plan right now, you and I could get to know each other again. Not to mention the fact that I'm having fun getting to know my grandson."
"I think I'd like that," Robert smiled. "But can you try to call me Bobby?"
"All right," Bridger laughed. They hugged and then went to join the others. A few minutes later, the park was filled with the laughter of six year olds.
After the party, Bridger, Ford, Lucas, Robert and Dagwood got ready to leave. When they got everything ready, Ben and Leslie drove them to their launch. "Well, Captain, how can I thank you for helping me get my family back?" Ben asked as he held his son and put his arm around his wife.
"You don't need to thank me, Ben," Bridger smiled. "You would have found out the truth without me."
"I don't know. I probably wouldn't have come back here if I hadn't been trying to help you find Bobby."
"You would have come back," Bridger said knowingly. "Something inside you would have made you come back."
He turned to Leslie and smiled. "I'm glad I finally got a chance to meet you."
"So am I," Leslie said. "I want you to know that you're always welcome here. Think of this as your second home."
She hugged Bridger. "I will," he smiled. "As long as you promise to come see us from time to time."
"We promise."
Stacy went over to Dagwood and pulled on his sleeve. He bent over and said, "Yes Stacy?"
"Will you come play with us again?"
Dagwood looked at Ford who smiled and said, "I think that can be arraigned."
"Okay," Dagwood said. "I'd like to come and play with you again, Stacy."
Stacy hugged Dagwood and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"Bobby, you take care of yourself and your son," Ben said as he extended his hand.
Robert took it and said, "I will. Keep in touch, will ya. Twelve years is too long."
"Very funny, Bobby."
Lucas came up to Ben. "You always were full of surprises, Ben."
"What about you?" Ben said. "We could all use your anti-aging formula."
"What do you mean?"
"Look at you. You're a twenty-eight year old in the body of an eighteen year old."
"Funny Ben."
"You walked into that one, Lucas," Ford laughed. "Krieg, if you ever want to join the Navy again…"
"Make sure it's not on your boat," Ben laughed.
"Exactly," Ford smiled. "You take good care of him, Leslie. And if he gives you any trouble, let me know."
"I will," Leslie said laughing.
They got into the launch, and from there, SeaQuest.